Steam-generator.



PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

E. I. NICHOLS. STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 4, 1902. No MODEL.

YH: nomm Puaka co, Hom-uma.. wAsumcnnN, n. c

UNITED STATES Patented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EMORY I. NICHOLS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOFRANK HUNTINGTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM-G EN ERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,480, dated October27, 1903. Application filed November 4. 19,02. Serial No. 130,084. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, EMoEv I. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam or GasGenerators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of steam or gas generators. Its objectis to provide a simple, effective, compact, and light generator for usein boats, automobiles, or other places in Which economy of space or fuelis required or in any case Where steam is required to be madeeconomically or in a short time or Where Water is to be heated rapidlyfor use as such.

It consists in the novel construction, relative arrangement, andconnection of the several parts constituting the fluid coursevhich Ishall hereinafter fully describe by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure I is a vertical section through one line oftubes and the head, taken on line 00 of Fig. 2, looking in the directionof the arrow. Fig. 2 is a plan of the under side of the head, severalofthe tubes being-'shown in cross-section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionon the line y y, of Fig. 2.

A is a plate which forms the generatorhead. This plate may be made inany desired shape in contour. It is for illustration here shown asrectangular. To this Yhead are connected the generating-tubes inconcentric pairs.

B represents the outer tubes, andC represents the inner tubes. Theconnection of these tubes with the head may be of any suitablecharacter. I deem the construction here shown both practical and simple.It consists of sockets in the head made in tWo diameters, the deeperpart a being of smaller diameter than the shallower part a.- Into thesmaller diameter is fitted the inner tube C, and into the largerdiameter is fitted the outer tube B. The tvvo tubes are of suchdiameters that an annular space is left between them, which space has acapacity equal to that of the inner tube. The outer or free end of theinner tube is open directly into the Vclosed end of the outer tube, andthus communicates with the annular space between the tubes. The

inner end of each tube is open, and in the head A are made passages ofany suitable character designed to connect the inner open end of onetube of each pair With the inner open end of the other tube of thesucceeding pair, thus connecting the tubes successively or in series, asit may be termed, to form a 6o continuous fluid-passage throughout theentire series from the inlet to the exit. These connecting-passages Iconsider are best constructed as I have here shownto Wit, thepassage'rbored in on a slope from the inner 65 endof thelarger-diametersocket a to the inner end of the smaller diameter a of an ad- Vjacentsocket. Thus these passages diconnect the inner open end of the innertube of one pair of tubes With the inner open end of 7o the outer tubeof a succeeding pair, and so on throughout the Whole series frombeginning-to end. There may be as many of these concentric pairs oftubes as may be desired arranged in such roW's and lines as economy in 75 space mayrequire, and in case an increase in capacity be desiredseveral independent series may be coupled together in one generator.

The inlet of the Water to the first inner tube is indicated at I by ahole made in the headl 8o A, and the exit from the last outer tube is atthe hole E in head A.

Any suitable iire-box or casing maybe used, and the generator may besupported therein in any suitable manner. I have here shown holes a3made in the head A for the passage of the products of combustion.

The operation is as follows: If steam is to be made, the tubes and headhaving been eX- posed to the heat of the ire-box until they 9o are hotenough Water is fed in proper quantities at the inlet I. It enters thefirst inner tube C and passing down therein is practicallyinstantaneously converted into steam. Thence the steam enters and passesup through the outer tube B of the same pair. Thence from the open upperend of said outer tube it passes through passage 0.2 into the upper endof the inner tube of the succeeding pair of tubes andrdoWn in said tubeand up 10o in the outer tube of said pair, and so on, down the innertubes and .up the outer tubes throughout the series until as superheatedsteam it finds exit at E. According to the amount of water f ed at I thesteam will be generated in more advanced parts of the course and will bemore or less superheated, and on the same principle if a sufficientstream of water be supplied the device may be used to obtain hot waterat E. If gas is to be geilerated, the operation is the same, the properfuel oil being' supplied. As a steam or gas generator its action is substantially instantaneous, and the course being continuous the flow isso rapid and strong that the tubes are kept clean and free fromsediment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a generator of the class described, the combination of a plurality ofrows of pairs of concentric tubes, the outer tube of each pair beingspaced from the inner tube, said inner and outer tubes communicatingdirectly at one end, ahead with which said tubes are connected at theother end, said head having passages arranged to eiect the communicationof one member of each pair with the other member of a succeeding pair insequence from the first pair of the first row, through successive rowsto the last pair of the last row, whereby a single' continuous iiuidcourse is had to and fro in successive rows, an inlet in the head toadmit the fluid to a tube of the rst pair of the first row, and anoutlet in the head from a tube of the last pair of the last row.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EMORY I. NICHOLS.

Vitnesses:

WALTER F. VANE, D. B. RICHARDS.

